The Week that Was

The 49ers aren’t likely to have an eventful week like last week until the NFL draft. Kurt Warner, arrived, visited, left and reportedly settled for $7 million less to stay in Arizona. The 49ers signed two players no one has heard of, Titans wide receiver Brandon Jones and Redskins defensive lineman Demetric Evans and former 49er Terrell Owens, switched teams again, this time going to Buffalo.

Head scratching is still going on about the puzzling dalliance with Warner and supposed two-year $30 million deal the 49ers offered. Could this ultimately come under the heading “The Best Moves are the Ones you Never Make”? One argument for Warner was that he’d make everyone better. He’d get rid of the ball faster and make the line look better, he’d be more accurate and make the receivers better. But does he really do that?

He doesn’t do it any better than Marc Bulger for example. With Warner, Rams receiver Torry Holt averaged 83 catches, 1,263 yards and 6.3 touchdowns from 1999 to 2001, while Isaac Bruce averaged 74 catches, 1,247 yards and 6.6 touchdowns during that time. Toss out 2002, when Warner and Bulger shared duties, and compare it with what Bulger did with Holt and Bruce from 2003 to 2005 (Bruce missed five games in 2005 so we substituted 2006 for him) Holt averaged 104 receptions, 1,466 yards and 10.3 touchdowns with Bulger, while Bruce went down to 77 catches, 1,124 yards and 3.7 touchdowns. Warner caught Bruce in his prime, and Bulger was throwing to Holt at his best, and Holt was more explosive statistically. However, Warner had a better offensive line and probably a better defense than Bulger.

Kurt Warner will stay in red and white.

In Arizona, Larry Fitzgerald’s and Anquan Boldin’s statistics weren’t that much worse with Matt Leinart, Josh McCown or Jeff Blake throwing to them. With that in mind, it could be argued that the receivers made Warner better, not necessarily the other way around.

Earlier in the week, I was somewhat critical of the Jones’ signing, writing that he offers little different than what the 49ers already have say in Arnaz Battle for example. Jones, despite his speed, hasn’t proven to be a deep threat, and I further postulated that a proven deep threat, such as Pittsburgh’s Nate Washington, might have been a better signing. Stats-minded blogger Latopia shot right back saying that fewer drops and a higher catch rate made Jones the better receiver than Washington. That maybe true, but Washington scores more and has a higher yards per catch average, meaning he’s more successful catching deeper passes. Points and yards are good things.

Washington will have more drops and not as high a percentage of receptions in passes thrown his way because he’s running deeper routes. Also, the 49ers need an explosive presence, no matter who it is, in their receiver corps. If the 49ers were only concerned with balls dropped and catch rates, they’d just go with running backs and tight ends and forget receivers all together. Mike Singletary might not think that’s not such a bad idea.

One factor in Latopia’s favor, Jones talked about blocking repeatedly when he was interviewed. He doesn’t appear to be a prima donna-type receiver. Washington might be a complete weanie, who knows?

Also last week, Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford said in Sports Illustrated that his interview with the 49ers at the college scouting combine was odd. While other teams asked him to draw plays, the 49ers brought a psychologist who pressed Stafford on the divorce of his parents. But maybe the 49ers were right to talk to Stafford about his background. If they know he can draw a play, why not make sure the future leader of your team isn’t going to come unglued emotionally.

And finally to T.O. going off to Buffalo. The lack of interest by the Raiders shows they’ve completely lost their way; they are no longer the team of the Tooz, the Snake, the Stork and other notorious characters. I figured the Raiders would go for the trifecta, T.O., Michael Vick and Mike Martz. It might have caused more explosions off the field than on, but it would be fun and it might even fill up the Coliseum. By the way, T.O. is now paired with head coach Dick Jauron, the object of Owens’s theory that Steve Mariucci wasn’t going for the jugular in a loss against the Bears because of his friendship with Jauron, who was then coaching the Bears. Things can be just so circular.